Moving vehicles on and off transport carriages

ABSTRACT

A method that includes a computer in a vehicle. The method includes: controlling an approach to a pivotable bridge that spans between two transport carriages or between one of the carriages and a vehicle loader; receiving, from a communication device coupled to the bridge or one of the carriages, an indication to cross the bridge; and based on the indication, crossing the bridge.

BACKGROUND

Vehicles typically need to be relocated upon manufacture. For example,groups of new vehicles typically are shipped to different parts of thecountry or world so that they may be sold locally. Relocation mayrequire human operators to drive vehicles one-by-one onto and/or off ofa transport.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an exemplary transport system thatincludes a plurality of autonomous vehicles in communication with acomputer server.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top view of a portion of a vehicle loader that comprises aramp and a vehicle bridge.

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the bridge.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of one of the plurality of autonomousvehicles.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a process of operating an autonomousvehicle.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a process of loading vehicles onto atransport carriage.

FIG. 8 illustrates another example of the vehicle loader.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A vehicle loading and unloading system is described that includes acomputer server, a network of communication devices (e.g., some of whichmay be located on transport carriages), and one or more vehicles inwireless communication with the server and the communication devices.According to one illustrative example, a method is described that caninclude, at a computer in a vehicle: controlling an approach to apivotable bridge that spans between two transport carriages or betweenone of the carriages and a vehicle loader; receiving, from acommunication device coupled to the bridge or one of the carriages, anindication to cross the bridge; and based on the indication, crossingthe bridge.

According to the at least one example set forth above, the computer isprogrammed to operate the vehicle in a fully autonomous mode.

According to the at least one example set forth above, the first andsecond transport carriages are railroad cars.

According to the at least one example set forth above, the device iscarried by a contact region of the bridge.

According to the at least one example set forth above, the devicecomprises a Bluetooth Low Energy chipset which transmits the indication.

According to the at least one example set forth above, the indication isreceived at the computer based on proximity sensor data that indicatescontact between the one of the carriages and the bridge in a deployedposition.

According to the at least one example set forth above, the indicationfurther comprises a unique identifier.

According to the at least one example set forth above, the methodfurther includes determining to cross the bridge based on an indicationthat the bridge is in a deployed position.

According to the at least one example set forth above, the methodfurther includes: to inventory the vehicle, transmitting a vehicleidentifier to a server in communication with the device.

According to another illustrative example, a method is described thatcan include, at a server: receiving a first identifier of a firstcommunication device, which device is part of a network of communicationdevices coupled to a plurality of transport carriages; receiving asecond identifier of a vehicle being loaded or unloaded from thecarriage(s); and determining a location of the vehicle based on theidentifiers.

According to the at least one example set forth above, determining thelocation includes determining upon which of the plurality the vehicleis, upon which carriage level of the respective transport carriage thevehicle is, or both.

According to the at least one example set forth above, the methodfurther includes, at the server: receiving a third identifier of asecond communication device, which device is part of the network andwhich second communication device is coupled to a vehicle loader forloading or unloading a plurality of vehicles onto the plurality oftransport carriages; and determining a location of the vehicle based onthe third identifier.

According to the at least one example set forth above, the methodfurther includes, at the server: determining that the vehicle is parkedat the location; and updating an inventory registry with the location.

According to the at least one example set forth above, the firstidentifier is received based on the first communication device being incontact with a portion of an adjacent transport carriage.

According to another illustrative example, the method further includesreceiving at the server a plurality of identifiers each associated witha different one of the network of communication devices; and based onreceiving the plurality of identifiers, tracking a current location ofthe vehicle.

According to the at least one example set forth above, the vehicle isoperating in a fully autonomous mode as it is loaded or unloaded.

According to the at least one example set forth above, the methodfurther includes determining whether a bridge which carries the firstcommunication device is moving toward a deployed position or toward astowed position.

According to another illustrative example, a computer is described thatcan include a processor and memory storing instructions executable bythe processor. The instructions may include, to: control an approach ofa vehicle to a pivotable bridge that spans between one of: two transportcarriages, or a vehicle loader and one of the carriages; receive, from afirst communication device coupled to the bridge or one of thecarriages, an indication to cross the bridge; and based on theindication, cross the bridge.

According to the at least one example set forth above, a system isdescribed that includes the computer and a server programmed to:determine a location of the vehicle based on communication between itand a plurality of communication devices which include the firstcommunication device, wherein each device is coupled to a differentbridge.

According to the at least one system example set forth above, the systemfurther may include a vehicle loader that includes one of the pluralityof communication devices coupled to a bridge thereof, wherein, when theloader bridge is in the deployed position, the vehicle may loaded orunloaded from one of the carriages.

According to the at least one example, a computer is disclosed that isprogrammed to execute any combination of the examples set forth above.

According to the at least one example, a computer is disclosed that isprogrammed to execute any combination of the examples of the method(s)set forth above.

According to the at least one example, a computer program product isdisclosed that includes a computer readable medium storing instructionsexecutable by a computer processor, wherein the instructions include anycombination of the instruction examples set forth above.

According to the at least one example, a computer program product isdisclosed that includes a computer readable medium that storesinstructions executable by a computer processor, wherein theinstructions include any combination of the examples of the method(s)set forth above.

Now turning to the figures, wherein like numerals indicate like partsthroughout the several views, there is shown a vehicle loading andunloading system 10 that includes a computer server 12, a wirelessnetwork 14 of communication devices 44, and one or more autonomousvehicles 18 in wireless communication with the server 12. The server 12may instruct the vehicles 18 to board or un-board a transport carriage20 (e.g., via a vehicle loader 22). While the vehicle 18 boards (orun-boards), the server 12 may track a current location of the vehicle 18using data received from the network 14 of communication devices 44. Theserver 12 may repeat this process with other vehicles 18 and inventorythe vehicles 18 as they are loaded or unloaded from the carriage(s) 20.Each autonomous vehicle 18 may be programmed to navigate onto the loader22 and to navigate from the loader 22 onto a first transport carriage20A by crossing a bridge 24. Thereafter, the vehicle 18 may park itselfon the first transport carriage 20A or may cross a similar bridge 24(located on the first transport carriage 20A) and thereby travel onto anadjacent transport carriage 20B. Here again, the vehicle may park itselfor cross a similar bridge 24 (located on the second transport carriage20B) and thereby travel onto the next adjacent transport carriage 20C.This sequence may occur repeatedly until the vehicle 18 eventually parksitself on one of the carriages 20. Additional vehicles 18 may be loadedonto the transport carriages 20, and the carriages 20 may travel (e.g.being towed) to a delivery destination. At the destination, a similarprocess may be executed using the computer server 12 (or a similarserver) so that the autonomous vehicle(s) 18 may be unloaded from thetransport carriage(s) 20.

According to one non-limiting example, the transport carriages 20 aretrain or railroad cars and typically dozens or scores of train cars maybe coupled as part of a single train. As will be explained more below,each train car may have a bridge (24) which extends to an adjacent car.

According to a conventional technique, a vehicle is loaded onto thetrain by an operator driving the car up a vehicle loader, crossing afirst bridge, and driving onto the first train car. Thereafter, theoperator may drive the vehicle toward the front of the train by crossingmultiple bridges interstitially-located between adjacent train cars.Then, the operator parks the vehicle and then backtracks (e.g.,sometimes on foot) from the train car (where the vehicle was parked) tothe vehicle loader (at the rear of the train) and similarly loadsanother vehicle onto the train. This backtracking distance will varydepending upon the parked location of the vehicle; however, in someexamples, the operator may backtrack approximately a mile. This processis simply reversed when unloading vehicles. Accordingly, loading orunloading the train may be time-consuming endeavor.

The present disclosure may be conducted with fewer operators and lessoperator-interaction as the vehicles 18 drive themselves onto the traincarriages 20. Using the vehicle loading and unloading system 10described herein, server 12 may control the interstitially-locatedbridges 24 (e.g., moving them between a stowed position and a deployedposition), identify whether any of the bridges 24 have not been properlydeployed, determine the location of each of the autonomous vehicles 18on the train, and maintain a current onboard inventory. A trainimplementation wherein transport carriages are exemplified as train carsis merely one example and is used for illustration purposes only. Othernon-limiting examples, include marine transport vessels, aircrafttransport vehicles, and semi- or tractor-trailer trucks (which may ormay not have multiple trailers).

Thus, according to at least one example, the vehicle loading andunloading system 10 comprises a plurality of transport carriages 20(e.g., embodied as train cars) and a vehicle loader 22 that is adaptedto load and unload vehicles 18 from or via a first carriage 20A (at therear end of the train). According to one example, each carriage 20 maybe identical; therefore, only one will be explained.

Transport carriage 20 comprises a container 30 having one or more levelsL1, L2 therein. In the illustrations, carriage 20 has two levels(however, three-level and other multi-level implementations are alsopossible). Each level L1, L2 may comprise a floor 32 which may becomprised of a pair of tracks (not shown) sized and spaced toaccommodate a plurality of different vehicle wheel-bases. A rear end 34of the carriage 20 may be open or comprise a door or gate (not shown),and a front end 36 of the carriage 20 may comprise a bridge 24 which iscoupled to and which pivots with respect to floor 32.

As best shown in FIG. 4, the bridge 24 may comprise a base 38, a pivotalmember 40 coupling the respective carriage 20 and the base 38 near afirst end 42 (of the base), and a communication device 44 located in acontact region 45 (e.g., near a second end 46 of the base 38). The base38 may be any suitable platform having a length adequate to extend fromthe pivotal member 40 to an adjacent transport carriage 20—e.g., therebysupporting the weight of a vehicle 18 driving over the bridge 24 (e.g.,and permitting the vehicle 18 to move from one carriage to an adjacentcarriage). In the illustrations, the base 38 comprises two tracks 48, 50(FIG. 3) which may be coupled together to move in unison; however, thisis merely an example.

According to one example (FIG. 4), a toe portion 52 extends from secondend 46 of the base 38—e.g., being coupled to the base via a secondpivotal member 54 (e.g., such as a hinge or the like). As will beexplained more below, when the bridge 24 moves from a stowed position(e.g., pivoted upwardly) to a deployed position (e.g., pivoteddownwardly), the toe portion 52 may contact the floor 32 of the adjacentcarriage first, followed by the base 38. And when the bridge 24 movesfrom the deployed position to the stowed position, the base 38 may firstbe raised from the floor 32 (of the adjacent carriage), followed by thetoe portion 52. Using sensors described below, this hinged arrangementmay be used to confirm the directional movement of the bridge 24 (e.g.,up or down).

The pivotal member 40 may include one or more hinges 56 and a motor 58to move the bridge 24, via the member 40, between the stowed anddeployed positions. In one example, the member 40 further comprises aprocessor 60, memory 62, and a wireless transceiver 64. The memory 62may store instructions executable by the processor 60 which includereceiving an instruction, from the server 12 via transceiver 64, to movethe bridge 24. In this manner, the bridge 24 may be remotely controlled.However, this is not required; e.g., the bridge 24 manually may bestowed or deployed, may be controlled by an operator of the train, maymove based on communication with autonomous vehicles 18, or the like,just to name a few non-limiting examples.

The communication device 44 may perform two functions: communicatingwith autonomous vehicles 18, and determining contact between the bridge24 and an adjacent transport carriage floor 32. In addition, as will beexplained more below, multiple communication devices 44 may operate as awireless network 14; thus, communication device 44 may be adapted andconfigured to communicate wirelessly with wireless repeaters 66 (whichamplify a wireless signal (FIG. 1)) and other similarly-constructedcommunication devices (e.g., on the train, as part of infrastructure,etc.). According to at least one example, the device 44 may comprise ahousing 68 that carries a proximity sensor 70, memory 72, a processor74, and a wireless transceiver 76. The housing 68 may comprise a bracketor enclosure, and the proximity sensor 70 may be located at a bottomwall 78 thereof (e.g., on an inside of the wall 78, an outside of thewall 78, or through an opening in the wall 78).

The proximity sensor 70 may be any electronic device which detectscontact between the communication device 44 (or the sensor 70 itself)and the floor 32 of an adjacent carriage 20 when the bridge 24 is in thedeployed position. For example, transport carriages 20 may containchains, tie-downs, even trash or the like which could interfere withestablishing contact between the bridge 24 and the floor 32. Forexample, these and other obstructions could become trapped between thebridge 24 and the floor 32 of the adjacent carriage 20 as the bridge 24moves to the deployed position. This may result in the bridge 24 notbeing in full contact with the floor 32, and in this undeployedposition, it may be undesirable for the vehicles 18 to cross as doing somay cause damage to the transport carriage 20, the vehicle 18, servicepersonnel, etc. Thus, the proximity sensor 70 may be used to provide asignal (e.g., proximity sensor data to the processor 74) which isindicative of contact with the floor 32. Thus, as used herein, adeployed position pertains to a bridge 24 extending between a firsttransport carriage and a second transport carriage, wherein, in thedeployed position, a portion of the bridge 24 is in flush contact with aportion of the second transport carriage.

One non-limiting example of a proximity sensor 70 is a capacitive sensorwhich provides a signal greater than a predetermined threshold when incontact with metal plates and brackets which may form the floor 32 ofthe train car. In another example, the proximity sensor 70 comprises twosensing elements 80, 82 (each providing an independent signal toprocessor 74), wherein one of elements 80 (a first element) is locatedin the base 38 (as described above) and a second element 82 is locatedin the toe portion 52. These elements 80, 82 also could be capacitivesensors; however, this is not required. Each element 80, 82 may providea signal greater than the predetermined threshold when the bridge 24 isin the deployed position. However, when the bridge 24 begins to movefrom the deployed position to the stowed position, the signal from thefirst element 80 may drop below the predetermined threshold (as the base38 is lifted from the floor 32) while the second element 82 may continueto provide a signal greater than threshold (as the toe portion 52remains flush to the floor 32). As the bridge 24 is raised farther, bothsignals may drop below the threshold (as the toe portion 52 also islifted from the floor 32). This delay or lag between the two independentsignals may be used to confirm that the bridge 24 is being raised.

Similarly, when the bridge 24 is being lowered from the stowed positiontoward the deployed position, the second element 82 may provide a signalwhich exceeds the predetermined threshold before a signal from the firstelement 80, as the toe portion 52 may contact the floor 32 of theadjacent transport carriage 20 before the base 38 of the bridge 24 does.Thereafter, the base 38 (and first element 80) may contact the floor 32,and then a signal from the first element 80 may exceed the threshold aswell. This delay between the two independent signals may be used toconfirm that the bridge 24 is being lowered. In this manner, two sensingelements 80, 82 may be used to confirm the directionality of the bridgemovement (e.g., without cameras or human operators havingline-of-sight).

Other proximity sensor types and configurations are possible. Forexample, the proximity sensor 70 may comprise one or more Hall effect orother magnetic sensors, one or more ultrasonic sensors, one or moreinfrared sensors, one or more gyroscopic sensors or other orientationsensors, etc., just to name a few.

Memory 72 of the communication device 44 may include any non-transitorycomputer usable or readable medium, which may include one or morestorage devices or articles. Exemplary non-transitory computer usablestorage devices include conventional computer system RAM (random accessmemory), ROM (read only memory), EPROM (erasable, programmable ROM),EEPROM (electrically erasable, programmable ROM), as well as any othervolatile or non-volatile media. Non-volatile media include, for example,optical or magnetic disks and other persistent memory. Volatile mediainclude dynamic random access memory (DRAM), which typically constitutesa main memory. Common forms of computer-readable media include, forexample, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, anyother magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, DVD, any other optical medium, punchcards, paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, aRAM, a PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EEPROM, any other memory chip orcartridge, or any other medium from which a computer can read. Asdiscussed above, memory 72 may store one or more computer programproducts which may be embodied as software, firmware, or the like. Inaddition, memory 72 may store a unique identifier of the communicationdevice 44.

The processor 74 of the communication device 44 may be any type ofdevice capable of processing electronic instructions, non-limitingexamples including a microprocessor, a microcontroller or controller, anapplication specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc.—just to name a few.In general, communication device 44 may be programmed to executedigitally-stored instructions, which may be stored in memory 72, whichenable the communication device 44 (via processor 74), among otherthings: to determine whether the bridge 24 is in the deployed positionor stowed position; to determine whether the bridge 24 is being raisedor lowered; to communicate with other communication devices 44; and/orto communicate with one or more autonomous vehicles 18.

Wireless transceiver 76 may comprise a wireless chipset 84 and matchedantenna 86. The chipset 84 may communicate via any suitable frequencyand according to any suitable protocol. In at least one example, thechipset 84 and antenna 86 operate at a short-range wirelesscommunication frequency and according to Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE);however, this is not required (e.g., it could utilize Bluetooth, Wi-Fi,or some other wireless protocol instead).

In at least one example, a communication device 44 is located on eachtrack 48, 50 of the bridge 24 (e.g., see FIG. 3). In such examples, thetwo devices 44 may function as a single unit. For example, each track48, 50 may comprise a proximity sensor (70) and the communicationdevices 44 may not report a deployed position unless both proximitysensors indicate flush contact with the floor 32 of the adjacenttransport carriage 20. Further, each device 44 may be associated with asingle identifier (e.g., a bridge identifier or BID). This is merely oneexample; other arrangements are possible.

Turning now to the vehicle loader 22 shown in FIGS. 1-2, as used herein,a vehicle loader is any structure suitable for loading and/or unloadingvehicles 18 onto transport carriage(s) 20. The loader 22 may comprise aramp 88 and a bridge (e.g., such as bridge 24). According to oneexample, the ramp 88 comprises a sloped surface 90. For example, a firstend 92 of the loader 22 may be near the ground and the ramp 88 may besupported by stanchions which raise and lower a second end 94 relativeto the first end 92. According to one example, the second end 94 may bemoved between a first position that corresponds with the lower level L1of the transport carriage 20 and a second position that corresponds withthe upper level L2 of the transport carriage 20. In some examples, thesecond end 94 may be moved to a third position (e.g., between the firstand second levels)—e.g., that corresponds with a middle level on atransport carriage 20 (not shown).

FIG. 3 illustrates an optically-recognizable pattern 96 on surface 90 ofthe ramp 88 which may be used by an autonomous vehicle 18 to navigateonto and across the ramp 88. Here, the pattern 96 is a checker boardhaving alternating light and dark squares—e.g., a high-contrast imagesuitable for an imaging system on the vehicle 18 to identify a route orpath across the ramp 88. This is merely one example, and other exist(e.g., including the chevron pattern 96′ shown in FIG. 8).

According to at least one example, the bridge of the loader 22 may beidentical to the bridges 24 of the transport carriages 20; therefore, itwill not be described in great detail here. The bridge 24 of the loadermay extend outwardly from the second end 94 so that when the loader 22is positioned proximate an end carriage 20A (e.g., of the train), thebridge 24 extends onto the floor 32 of carriage 20A (similar to thatdescribed above).

Other examples of vehicle loaders exist. For example, instead of a ramp,the loader may comprise a lift which translates along a vertical axis.The lift may comprise the optically-recognizable pattern to facilitateautonomous vehicle movement along its length. And at one end of thelift, a similarly-constructed bridge 24 may extend therefrom.

Turning now to the computer server 12 shown in FIG. 1, the server 12 maycomprise a single computer (or multiple computing devices—e.g., sharedwith other manufacturing or shipping plant systems and/or subsystems).In at least one example, server 12 is a logistics server whichidentifies outgoing or incoming shipments of vehicles 18; however, thisis merely an example. Server 12 may comprise a processor 100 coupled tomemory 102. For example, processor 100 can be any type of device capableof processing electronic instructions, non-limiting examples including amicroprocessor, a microcontroller or controller, an application specificintegrated circuit (ASIC), etc.—just to name a few. In general, server12 may be programmed to execute digitally-stored instructions, which maybe stored in memory 102, which enable the server 12, among other things:to selectively control bridge movement (e.g., between the stowed anddeployed positions); to confirm that bridges 24 are in the deployedpositions prior to instructing vehicles 18 to board or unboard; toselectively instruct autonomous vehicles 18 to board (or unboard)transport carriages 20; etc.

Memory 102 may include any non-transitory computer usable or readablemedium, which may include one or more storage devices or articles.Exemplary non-transitory computer usable storage devices includeconventional computer system RAM (random access memory), ROM (read onlymemory), EPROM (erasable, programmable ROM), EEPROM (electricallyerasable, programmable ROM), as well as any other volatile ornon-volatile media. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical ormagnetic disks and other persistent memory. Volatile media includedynamic random access memory (DRAM), which typically constitutes a mainmemory. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, afloppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any othermagnetic medium, a CD-ROM, DVD, any other optical medium, punch cards,paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, aPROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EEPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, orany other medium from which a computer can read. As discussed above,memory 102 may store one or more computer program products which may beembodied as software, firmware, or the like.

Server 12 further may comprise a database 104 coupled to processor 100that stores vehicle inventory data. As used herein, inventory datacomprises a plurality of unique vehicle identifiers and the respectivevehicles' locations. A location may include a storage facility (e.g.,owned or controlled by a vehicle manufacturer), with a particularshipper (e.g., including onboard a train, ship, plane, etc.), and/oronboard a transport carriage 20 or onboard a particular transportcarriage 20, etc. Location may include carriage identifier and/or alevel (e.g., L1, L2) identifier.

Server 12 further may comprise a wireless transceiver 106 coupled toprocessor 100. In at least one example, the transceiver 106 may beidentical to transceiver 76; therefore, it will not be re-describedhere.

The transceiver 106 of computer server 12, the communication device(s)44 of the loader 22, and the communication device(s) 44 of the transportcarriages 20 may be in communication via wireless network 14. Accordingto one example, each of these devices 44, 106 may operate according to acommon frequency band and protocol (e.g., such as BLE). As discussedabove, each of the communication devices 44 may have a unique identifier(e.g., bridge identifiers (BIDs)); transceiver 106 also may have aunique identifier (e.g., a server identifier (SID)). The wirelessnetwork 14 may operate as a mesh network—e.g., thereby extending therange of communication to all proximately located devices; and repeaters66 may be used within the network 14 as necessary.

Messaging between the server 12 and communication devices 44 may includethe SID and/or BID identifiers so that the sender and recipient areidentified. For instance, a message sent from the server 12 to acommunication device 44 may comprise a header having two identifiers(e.g., the identifier of the sending device (in this case, the SID) andthe identifier of the intended recipient (in this case, one of theBIDs)). In this manner, the message may be relayed among thecommunication devices 44 and only the intended recipient may act or takenotice of a payload of the message; the payload may comprise an alert,instruction, etc. In this manner, a distantly-located communicationdevice 44 (e.g., toward the front of a train) may communicate with theserver 12, device 44 in the loader 22, and/or communication devices 44nearer the loader 22.

Referring to FIG. 5, the vehicle 18 is shown as a passenger car;however, vehicle 18 could also be a truck, sports utility vehicle (SUV),recreational vehicle, bus, train, marine vessel, aircraft, or the likethat forms a portion of system 10. Vehicle 18 may be operated in any oneof a number of autonomous modes. In at least one example, vehicle 18operates in a fully autonomous mode (e.g., a level 5), as defined by theSociety of Automotive Engineers (SAE) (which has defined operation atlevels 0-5). For example, at levels 0-2, a human driver monitors orcontrols the majority of the driving tasks, often with no help from thevehicle 18. For example, at level 0 (“no automation”), a human driver isresponsible for all vehicle operations. At level 1 (“driverassistance”), the vehicle 18 sometimes assists with steering,acceleration, or braking, but the driver is still responsible for thevast majority of the vehicle control. At level 2 (“partial automation”),the vehicle 18 can control steering, acceleration, and braking undercertain circumstances without human interaction. At levels 3-5, thevehicle 18 assumes more driving-related tasks. At level 3 (“conditionalautomation”), the vehicle 18 can handle steering, acceleration, andbraking under certain circumstances, as well as monitoring of thedriving environment. Level 3 may require the driver to interveneoccasionally, however. At level 4 (“high automation”), the vehicle 18can handle the same tasks as at level 3 but without relying on thedriver to intervene in certain driving modes. At level 5 (“fullautomation”), the vehicle 18 can handle all tasks without any driverintervention. Thus, as described above, in the fully autonomous mode,the vehicle 18 may be instructed to move itself onto the vehicle loader22 and onto one or more of the transport carriages 20. Further, for eachbridge 24 that the vehicle 18 approaches and intends to cross, theautonomous vehicle 18 may verify that the bridge 24 is in the deployedposition—e.g., by communicating with the respective communication device44 and/or the server 12 via the wireless network 14. Thus, in the fullyautonomous mode, the vehicle 18 may board the transport carriages 20,park the vehicle 18, and switch its ignition state to OFF. Further,while operating in a sleep or low power mode, the vehicle 18 may receivean indication to WAKE UP, actuate its ignition state to ON, place itstransmission in DRIVE (or REVERSE), and unboard the transport carriages20 (e.g., again verifying that each respective bridge 24 is in thedeployed position before crossing it).

A number of vehicles 18 may be loaded or unloaded from the transportcarriages 20. Each vehicle 18 may be identical; therefore, only one willbe described. Vehicle 18 may comprise, among other things: a wired orwireless network connection 110, a telematics device 112, a powertrainand steering system 114, an imaging system 116, and one or moreautonomous driving computers 120 (e.g., one is shown for purposes ofillustration). As discussed above, the vehicle 18 may store a uniquevehicle identifier (VID) which is used by the server 12 and/orcommunication devices 44 to message the particular vehicle 18. The VIDmay be a vehicle identification number (VIN), a telematics device serialnumber, microprocessor serial number, or the like (which may be storedin any suitable memory).

Network connection 110 may facilitate intra-vehicle communicationbetween the telematics device 112, powertrain and steering system 114,imaging system 116, computer 120, and any other suitable electronicdevice. In at least one example, the connection 110 includes one or moreof a controller area network (CAN) bus, Ethernet, Local InterconnectNetwork (LIN), a fiber optic connection, or the like. Other examplesalso exist. For example, alternatively or in combination with e.g., aCAN bus, connection 110 could comprise one or more discrete wired orwireless connections.

Telematics device 112 may be any computing device configured towirelessly communicate with other electronic devices. Such wirelesscommunication may include use of cellular technology (e.g., LTE, GSM,CDMA, and/or other cellular communication protocols), short rangewireless communication technology (e.g., using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth,Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), dedicated short range communication (DSRC),and/or other short range wireless communication protocols), or acombination thereof. Such communication includes so-calledvehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I)communications as well—all of which will be appreciated by those skilledin the art. According to one example, device 112 includes a processor,memory, an embedded BLE chipset, and at least one matched antenna. Thetelematics device 112 may be provided auxiliary vehicle battery powerwhen the vehicle ignition state is OFF so that the device 112 mayoperate in a low power mode. For example, in this mode, the telematicsdevice 112 may wake up from a sleep mode and listen for an incomingwireless signal according to a predetermined interval while all or mostof the remainder of the vehicle 18 is powered down (e.g., the intervalmay be 1-2 seconds in duration, while the listening period may be100-200 milliseconds of that 1-2 seconds). When the telematics device112 receives an incoming message having the VID, the telematic device112 may wake up other vehicle systems—e.g., wake up computer 120,powertrain and steering system 114, and/or the remainder of the vehicle18. In this manner, the vehicle 18 may be parked in a vehicle parkinglot, receive an instruction to board the transport carriages 20, andthen autonomously act on the boarding instruction. Similarly, in thismanner, the vehicle 18 may be parked on the transport carriages 20,receive an instruction to unboard the transport carriage(s) 20, and thenautonomously act on the unboarding instruction.

Powertrain and steering system 114 may include any mechanical and/orelectrical components which facilitate propulsion and braking of vehicle18, steering the directionality of vehicle 18, or the like. This system114 may include a combustion, electric, or hybrid engine. Further,system 114 may include an automatic transmission coupled to the engine,and also a chassis which supports the vehicle body and controls turningof the wheels. The system 114 may include one or more computers whichreceive instructions from computer 120; in response to theseinstructions, the system 114 may change the ignition state to ON or OFF,autonomous operate the vehicle 18 causing it to board or unboard theloader 22 and/or transport carriages 20, etc.

Imaging system 116 may include one or more sensors (not shown) which maybe used to navigate and otherwise operate the vehicle 18 in the fullyautonomous mode. For example, the sensors may include laseridentification detection and ranging (LIDAR) devices, radio detectionand ranging (RADAR) devices, and day cameras (e.g., complementary metaloxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices, charge-coupled devices (CCDs), imageintensifiers (so-called i-squared devices), etc.), just to name a fewexamples. The imaging system 116 also may comprise one or more computers(not shown) programmed with instructions, algorithms, etc. to: receivesensor data; use the sensor data to identify a roadway, driving path, orthe like; and/or identify obstacles and other vehicles, and the like.Image data from cameras may be combined, overlaid, stitched, etc. withRADAR and/or LIDAR data to develop a three-dimensional map of the areasurrounding the vehicle 18, and this map may be used by computer todrive the vehicle 18 in the fully autonomous mode. Image data may becombined with so-called localization data (e.g., predefined orpreviously-acquired three-dimensional mapping data) to reducecomputational time and increase vehicle situational awareness, accuracy,etc. Using the imaging system 116, computer 120 may identify the pattern96 on the surface 90 of the vehicle loader ramp 88, the tracks 48, 50 ofthe bridge(s) 24, the inner walls of the container 30 (of the transportcarriage 20), and other vehicles 18 (e.g., including those parked on thesame level (e.g., L1, L2) of the carriage 20—e.g., in front ofapproaching vehicle 18).

Computer 120 of vehicle 18 may comprise a processor 122 that executesinstructions stored in memory 124 to autonomously control movement ofthe vehicle 18, as well as communicate with the server 12 andcommunication devices 44. Processor 122 can be any type of devicecapable of processing electronic instructions, non-limiting examplesincluding a microprocessor, a microcontroller or controller, anapplication specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc.—just to name a few.In general, computer 120 may be programmed to execute digitally-storedinstructions, which may be stored in memory 124, which enable thecomputer 120, among other things: receive an instruction from server 12to board or unboard a transport carriage 20; navigate autonomously ontoor off of the carriage 20 (e.g., via vehicle loader 22); use the pattern96 on the loader 22 to center the vehicle 18 on the loader surface 90;approach one or more bridges 24 (e.g., on the loader 22 or on one of thetransport carriages 20); receive an indication from the communicationdevice 44 on the respective bridge 24 indicating whether the bridge isin the deployed position; cross the bridge 24 based on the indication;and determine whether to PARK the vehicle 18.

Memory 124 may include any non-transitory computer usable or readablemedium, which may include one or more storage devices or articles.Exemplary non-transitory computer usable storage devices includeconventional computer system RAM (random access memory), ROM (read onlymemory), EPROM (erasable, programmable ROM), EEPROM (electricallyerasable, programmable ROM), as well as any other volatile ornon-volatile media. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical ormagnetic disks and other persistent memory. Volatile media includedynamic random access memory (DRAM), which typically constitutes a mainmemory. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, afloppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any othermagnetic medium, a CD-ROM, DVD, any other optical medium, punch cards,paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, aPROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EEPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, orany other medium from which a computer can read. As discussed above,memory 124 may store one or more computer program products which may beembodied as software, firmware, or the like.

Turning now to FIG. 6, an instructional process 600 carried out bycomputer 120 of the autonomous vehicle 18 is illustrated. The process isan example of how the vehicle 18 may use the system 10 to board thetransport carriage(s) 20 while communicating with the server 12 andcommunication devices 44 described above. The process begins with block610 wherein the vehicle 18 receives via the telematics device 112 aninstruction to board one of the transport carriages 20. When theinstruction is received, the vehicle 18 may be parked, and/or thevehicle's ignition state may be OFF. According to the illustratedexample, a number of vehicles (like or identical to vehicle 18) arebeing loaded onto a train having a plurality of transport carriages 20(train cars). The vehicles 18 may be in a low power mode (e.g., in aparking lot or structure) and may receive an instruction from the server12 to board the carriage(s) 20. In at least one example, thisinstruction may be received over a short-range wireless communicationprotocol such as BLE. When the server 12 is out-of-range of the vehicle18, the instruction may be relayed using wireless repeaters 66 or thelike.

In at least one example of block 610, a wireless message is transmittedby the server 12 having a header that includes the SID and a VID of theparticular vehicle 18 and also comprises a payload header that includesa command (e.g., an instruction to PARK the vehicle at a locationonboard a carriage 20). The location may be defined using a specificbridge identifier (BID). According to at least one example, the server12 may anticipate the vehicle 18 parking on a carriage 20 once itcrosses a bridge 24 having that particular BID. This implementation isnot required in all examples.

In block 620, in response to the instruction (block 610), the vehicle 18may proceed to navigate onto the specific transport carriage 20. Forexample, using the powertrain and steering system 114, the vehicle 18may move in a fully autonomous mode toward and onto the vehicle loader22. Upon reaching the loader 22, the vehicle 18 may receive image datafrom its imaging system 116 that identifies the contrast pattern 96 onthe surface 90 of the ramp 88. Using the pattern 96 and image processingtechniques, computer 120 may control vehicle 18 to move up the ramp 88without driving off the sides thereof (or striking against the railsthereof).

In block 630, using the image data, the vehicle 18 may approach thebridge 24 of the loader 22. For example, computer 120 can identify thesecond end 94 of the ramp 88 (e.g., where the contrast pattern 96terminates). As vehicle 18 approaches the second end 94, it maycommunicate with the bridge's respective communication device 44 todetermine whether the bridge 24 is in the deployed position. In someexamples, vehicle 18 may pause momentarily; in other examples,communication may be sufficiently rapid that vehicle 18 does not need tostop.

In block 640, vehicle 18 (via telematics device 112) may receive andcomputer 120 may determine whether it has received an indication thatthe bridge 24 is in a deployed position. According to one example, therespective communication device 44 may determine whether the proximitysensor 70 provides an output larger than a predetermined threshold(e.g., indicating contact with the floor 32 of the adjacent carriage20). In other examples, device 44 may determine whether both elements80, 82 are providing a signal larger than respectively predeterminedthresholds, as discussed above. Regardless of how the communicationdevice 44 determines the deployed position, it communicates this tovehicle 18 via a wireless message (e.g., that may include the VID andBID). When the device 44 does not provide an indication (nocommunication) or indicates a state other than the deployed position,process 600 may proceed to block 650, and when an indication of thedeployed position is received, the process 600 may proceed to block 660.

The payload of the message in block 640 may be binary—e.g., indicatingone of a deployed position or something else. For example, for purposesof this disclosure, there may be no partially deployed position. Asdiscussed above, any vehicle 18 attempting to cross a bridge 24 when thebridge 24 is not in contact with the floor 32 may result in damage tothe vehicle 18, the bridge 24, the transport carriage 20, etc.

It should be appreciated that while on the ramp 88, the vehicle 18 maybe within wireless range of a number of signals sent from differentcommunication devices 44. According to one example, the vehicle 18 mayidentify its location based on a received signal strength indication(RSSI) from the respective devices 44 and/or based on a digital mapstored in memory 126 (e.g., the vehicle 18 may recognize where it is onthe train based on a mapping of bridge locations).

In at least one example, the indication received in block 640 may be inresponse to the device 44 receiving a query message from the vehicletelematics device 112. In other examples, the respective communicationdevice 44 may provide the indication without such a query. For instance,in one example, the device 44 repeatedly could transmit the indicationwhen the bridge 24 is in the deployed position. In another example,device 44 may sense the proximity of the vehicle 18 (e.g., based on abeacon or other suitable signal sent out from the telematics device112), and provide a message indicating whether it is in the stowed ordeployed position. Still other examples exist.

In block 650, the telematics device 112 could send a message requestingdeployment of the bridge 24—e.g., through the network 14 ofcommunication devices 44 and ultimately be received by the server 12.Alternatively, the telematics device 112 could provide the message tothe respective communication device 44, and it could transmit themessage to the server 12. For example, the communication device 44 mayreceive an indication from the vehicle 18 that it intends to cross thecorresponding bridge 24 and concurrently determine that the bridge 24 isnot in the deployed position; and based on these determinations,communication device 44 may send the message to the server 12.

In block 660, the vehicle 18 may cross the bridge 24 after receiving anindication from the communication device 44 that the bridge 24 is in thedeployed position (block 640). For example, computer 120 may prompt thepowertrain and steering system 114 to move the vehicle 18 over thebridge 24 and onto the adjacent transport carriage 20.

In block 670 which follows, computer 120 may determine whether to parkthe vehicle 18. For instance, in at least one example, the vehicle 18may have received block 610 the instruction to park the vehicle on aparticular transport carriage 20. If the vehicle 18 is now in thislocation, computer 120 may instruct the powertrain and steering system114 to place the vehicle transmission in PARK and the ignition state toOFF.

According to another example of block 670, the powertrain and steeringsystem 114 may move the vehicle 18 through multiple transport carriages20 and across multiple bridges 24 until the computer 120 identifiesanother parked vehicle immediately in front of vehicle 18 (e.g., usingimaging system 116). If computer 120 determines not to park vehicle 18yet, then the process proceeds to block 680. And if the computerdetermines to park vehicle 18 at this time, then the process proceeds toblock 690.

In block 680, the powertrain and steering system 114 may control themovement of the vehicle 18 as it begins to travels the length of therespective transport carriage 20. If the vehicle 18 reaches the secondend 36 of the respective transport carriage (another bridge 24), theprocess 600 loops back to block 640. As the vehicle 18 moves forwardly,the process may loop back and repeat block 670—e.g., and computer 120may re-determine whether to park the vehicle 18 or not.

In block 690, having determined to park the vehicle 18, computer 120instructs the powertrain and steering system 114 to place the vehicletransmission in PARK and switch the ignition state to OFF. Thereafterthe method ends.

Process 600 illustrates a scenario wherein the vehicle 18 is boardingthe transport carriage(s) 20 via loader 22. A similar set ofinstructions may be executed by computer 120 during an unboardingprocess. For example, the telematics device 112 may receive aninstruction from server 12 (or a similar server at the train'sdestination) instructing the vehicle 18 to wake up and place theignition state to ON. The instruction could identify a parking lot orparking space location where the vehicle 18 should drive, place thetransmission in PARK, and then place the ignition state again to OFF.Thus, in at least some examples, in response to the instruction,computer 120 may communicate wirelessly with communication devices 44 onthe transport carriage and loader bridges 24 in a similar manner, asdescribed above—e.g., receiving an indication that the bridge 24 is inthe deployed position from each respective communication device 44before the vehicle 18 moves in REVERSE over the bridge.

Turning now to FIG. 7, an instructional process 700 carried out by theserver is illustrated. The process is an example of how the server 12may instruct autonomous vehicles (e.g., such as vehicle 18) to board orunboard the transport carriage(s) 20 based on communication with thecommunication devices 44 and/or respective vehicles.

The process may begin with block 705, wherein the server 12 selectivelyinstructs one or more bridges 24 to move to the deployed position.According to one example, the server 12 commands are bridges 24 to thedeployed position via the wireless network 14; in other examples, thedeployment or stowage of bridges is controlled by the transport (e.g.,controlled using by a train operator or the like). In at least someexamples, only some of the transport carriages 20 will receive vehicles18. And in such instances, server 12 may selectively actuate only somecorresponding bridges 24.

In block 710, the server 12 may receive feedback as to whether theselectively actuated bridges 24 are deployed. Block 710 comprises block715, block 720, block 725, and block 730.

In block 715, via the wireless network 14 of communication devices 44,the server 12 receives feedback as to whether the selectively-actuatedbridges 24 have moved to the desired (e.g., deployed) position. Forexample, each selectively-actuated bridge 24 (or the communicationdevice 44 thereof) may transmit through the wireless network 14 amessage that comprises a header (having a SID and a BID) and a payloadmessage (e.g., indicating whether the bridge is in the deployed positionor not—e.g., according to the binary implementation described above).Upon receipt of the messages, server 12 may record the BID and thecorresponding state of the bridge 24 (e.g., stowed or deployed) in alook-up table, data array, etc. If server 12 determines at least onebridge 24 to not be in the deployed position, process 700 proceeds toblock 720. If, however, all of the selectively-actuated bridges 24 arein the deployed position, the process proceeds to block 740.

In block 720, the server 12 may identify the bridge(s) 24 not in thedesired position. In this particular instance, server identifiesbridge(s) 24 not in the deployed position (which were previouslyactuated)—e.g., using the transport carriage mapping technique(described above). In response to the identification, server 12 maynotify authorized service personnel so that they may attend to theapparent fault or malfunction. Notification may be via an output on adisplay (not shown) connected to server 12, via wireless text message,or the like.

In block 725, the process 700 may pause for a predetermined duration toenable service personnel to address the fault. As discussed above, thefault may be due to tie-downs, chains, trash, or other obstructionsinhibiting the particular bridge 24 from making flush contact with thefloor 32 of the adjacent transport carriage 20.

In block 730, the service personnel may perform the requisitemaintenance—e.g., by removing the obstruction, repairing the bridge 24,etc. In some instances, the motor 58, hinge 56, or the like may beinoperative—e.g., causing the malfunction. Since service personnel mayidentify which bridge 24 of a plurality of transport carriages 20 have afault or malfunction using the output of the server 12, repair orservice time may be expedited.

Following block 730, the process may loop back and repeat block 715. Inthis instance, if all bridges 24 are now in the desired (deployed)position, the process may proceed to block 740. If the same bridge oranother bridge 24 remains in the undesired position, then process may berepeat blocks 720, 725, 730, and 715.

In block 740, the server 12 may instruct the vehicle 18 to board atransport carriage 20. As described above, this instruction may identifya particular transport carriage. This may or may not include boarding apredetermined level (e.g., L1, L2) of the particular transport carriage20. In other examples, the instruction anticipates that the vehicle 18will navigate through one or more carriages 20 (and across one or morebridges 24) until it finds a suitable location to PARK—these and otherexamples of the vehicle instruction were previously described in process600 and will not be re-described here in great detail.

In block 745 which follows, the server 12 may track a current locationof the vehicle 18 as it crosses one more bridges 24 (e.g., of the loader22 and/or transport carriages 20). Continuing with the example above,the vehicle 18 may cross a number of bridges 24 each having its ownrespective communication device 44; based on receiving notificationsfrom the respective communication devices 44, server 12 may know thelocation of the vehicle 18 as it moves through the train.

In block 750, which may occur at any suitable time during process 700,server 12 may perform logistics services by inventorying the vehicle 18(e.g., in a digital inventory registry). For example, in the registry,the server 12 may associate a vehicle identifier (e.g., the VID) with aboarded condition. Further, the vehicle identifier may be associatedwith a particular transport system (e.g., a particular train) and/or aparticular transport carriage 20 (e.g., of the train) upon which thevehicle 18 is parked.

According to at least one example, the server 12 may receive a messagevia the network 14 from the vehicle 18 that the vehicle is parked. Thismessage may comprise location information (e.g., identifying one or moreof: which carriage 20 the vehicle 18 is in, which level (e.g., L1, L2)the vehicle 18 is on, which bridge 24 (and communication device 44) thevehicle 18 last passed over, etc.). This location information may beused by server 12 to update the vehicle inventory registry.

Process may proceed to block 755, wherein server 12 may determinewhether to instruct another vehicle 18 to board one of the transportcarriages 20. Of course, blocks 705-755 may occur repeatedly. Further,multiple vehicles 18 may be boarded concurrently. According to oneexample, the vehicles 18 may act as a caravan or convoy of vehiclesboarding the transport carriages 20. If additional vehicle(s) are to beinstructed, process 700 loops back to block 740 and issues theadditional instruction(s). However, if no additional vehicles 18 are tobe instructed to board, then the process proceeds to block 760.

In block 760, the server 12 selectively may instruct the bridge(s) 24 tomove to a stowed position (e.g., to prepare for the train departure).Typically, at this time, maintenance personnel may secure each boardedvehicle 18 with locks, chains, tie-downs, etc., and in some instances,the personnel manually may move the bridge(s) 24 to the stowed position.Or, as described above, the bridge(s) 24 selectively may be movedbetween the deployed and stowed position using onboard train operatorcontrols.

Regardless of how the bridges 24 are moved to the stowed position, in atleast one example, process 700 includes block 765 which repeats the setof instructions exemplified by block 710 (e.g., here identified as block710′). For example, computer 120 may identify any bridges 24 which arenot in the desired (this time ‘stowed’) position. As discussed above,maintenance may be performed if any bridges 24 do not move from thedeployed position to the stowed position. If, however all bridges 24 arestowed, then process 700 may end.

Process 700 was described according to a boarding implementation. Itshould be appreciated that, like process 600, process 700 may beexecuted as an autonomous unboarding process as well.

Thus, there has been described a vehicle loading and unloading systemthat includes a server, a wireless network of communication devices, andone or more vehicles. The communication devices may form part oftransport carriages or part of a vehicle loader. According to anexample, at least one device is located on a bridge that spans a gapbetween respective carriages or between a carriage and the loader. Andthe system may be used to facilitate the autonomous boarding and/orunboarding of vehicles.

In general, the computing systems and/or devices described may employany of a number of computer operating systems, including, but by nomeans limited to, versions and/or varieties of the Ford SYNC®application, AppLink/Smart Device Link middleware, the Microsoft®Automotive operating system, the Microsoft Windows® operating system,the Unix operating system (e.g., the Solaris® operating systemdistributed by Oracle Corporation of Redwood Shores, Calif.), the AIXUNIX operating system distributed by International Business Machines ofArmonk, N.Y., the Linux operating system, the Mac OSX and iOS operatingsystems distributed by Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif., the BlackBerryOS distributed by Blackberry, Ltd. of Waterloo, Canada, and the Androidoperating system developed by Google, Inc. and the Open HandsetAlliance, or the QNX® CAR Platform for Infotainment offered by QNXSoftware Systems. Examples of computing devices include, withoutlimitation, an on-board vehicle computer, a computer workstation, aserver, a desktop, notebook, laptop, or handheld computer, or some othercomputing system and/or device.

Computing devices generally include computer-executable instructions,where the instructions may be executable by one or more computingdevices such as those listed above. Computer-executable instructions maybe compiled or interpreted from computer programs created using avariety of programming languages and/or technologies, including, withoutlimitation, and either alone or in combination, Java™, C, C++, VisualBasic, Java Script, Perl, etc. Some of these applications may becompiled and executed on a virtual machine, such as the Java VirtualMachine, the Dalvik virtual machine, or the like. In general, aprocessor (e.g., a microprocessor) receives instructions, e.g., from amemory, a computer-readable medium, etc., and executes theseinstructions, thereby performing one or more processes, including one ormore of the processes described herein. Such instructions and other datamay be stored and transmitted using a variety of computer-readablemedia.

A computer-readable medium (also referred to as a processor-readablemedium) includes any non-transitory (e.g., tangible) medium thatparticipates in providing data (e.g., instructions) that may be read bya computer (e.g., by a processor of a computer). Such a medium may takemany forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile media andvolatile media. Non-volatile media may include, for example, optical ormagnetic disks and other persistent memory. Volatile media may include,for example, dynamic random access memory (DRAM), which typicallyconstitutes a main memory. Such instructions may be transmitted by oneor more transmission media, including coaxial cables, copper wire andfiber optics, including the wires that comprise a system bus coupled toa processor of a computer. Common forms of computer-readable mediainclude, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk,magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, DVD, any otheroptical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium withpatterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EEPROM, any othermemory chip or cartridge, or any other medium from which a computer canread.

Databases, data repositories or other data stores described herein mayinclude various kinds of mechanisms for storing, accessing, andretrieving various kinds of data, including a hierarchical database, aset of files in a file system, an application database in a proprietaryformat, a relational database management system (RDBMS), etc. Each suchdata store is generally included within a computing device employing acomputer operating system such as one of those mentioned above, and areaccessed via a network in any one or more of a variety of manners. Afile system may be accessible from a computer operating system, and mayinclude files stored in various formats. An RDBMS generally employs theStructured Query Language (SQL) in addition to a language for creating,storing, editing, and executing stored procedures, such as the PL/SQLlanguage mentioned above.

In some examples, system elements may be implemented ascomputer-readable instructions (e.g., software) on one or more computingdevices (e.g., servers, personal computers, etc.), stored on computerreadable media associated therewith (e.g., disks, memories, etc.). Acomputer program product may comprise such instructions stored oncomputer readable media for carrying out the functions described herein.

The processor is implemented via circuits, chips, or other electroniccomponent and may include one or more microcontrollers, one or morefield programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), one or more application specificcircuits ASICs), one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), one ormore customer integrated circuits, etc. The processor may be programmedto process the sensor data. Processing the data may include processingthe video feed or other data stream captured by the sensors to determinethe roadway lane of the host vehicle and the presence of any targetvehicles. As described below, the processor instructs vehicle componentsto actuate in accordance with the sensor data. The processor may beincorporated into a controller, e.g., an autonomous mode controller.

The memory (or data storage device) is implemented via circuits, chipsor other electronic components and can include one or more of read onlymemory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, electricallyprogrammable memory (EPROM), electrically programmable and erasablememory (EEPROM), embedded MultiMediaCard (eMMC), a hard drive, or anyvolatile or non-volatile media etc. The memory may store data collectedfrom sensors.

The disclosure has been described in an illustrative manner, and it isto be understood that the terminology which has been used is intended tobe in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Manymodifications and variations of the present disclosure are possible inlight of the above teachings, and the disclosure may be practicedotherwise than as specifically described.

1. A method, comprising: at a computer in a vehicle: controlling anapproach to a pivotable bridge that spans between two transportcarriages or between one of the carriages and a vehicle loader;receiving, from a communication device coupled to the bridge or one ofthe carriages, an indication to cross the bridge; and based on theindication, crossing the bridge.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein thecomputer is programmed to operate the vehicle in a fully autonomousmode.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the two transport carriages arerailroad cars.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is carriedby a contact region of the bridge.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein thedevice comprises a Bluetooth Low Energy chipset which transmits theindication.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication is receivedat the computer based on proximity sensor data that indicates contactbetween the one of the carriages and the bridge in a deployed position.7. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication further comprises aunique identifier.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprisingdetermining to cross the bridge based on an indication that the bridgeis in a deployed position.
 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:to inventory the vehicle, transmitting a vehicle identifier to a serverin communication with the device.
 10. A method, comprising: at a server:receiving a first identifier of a first communication device, whichdevice is part of a network of communication devices coupled to aplurality of transport carriages; receiving a second identifier of avehicle being loaded or unloaded from the carriage(s); and determining alocation of the vehicle based on the identifiers.
 11. The method ofclaim 10, wherein determining the location includes determining uponwhich of the plurality the vehicle is, upon which carriage level of therespective transport carriage the vehicle is, or both.
 12. The method ofclaim 10, further comprising: at the server: receiving a thirdidentifier of a second communication device, which device is part of thenetwork and which second communication device is coupled to a vehicleloader for loading or unloading a plurality of vehicles onto theplurality of transport carriages; and determining a location of thevehicle based on the third identifier.
 13. The method of claim 10,further comprising: at the server: determining that the vehicle isparked at the location; and updating an inventory registry with thelocation.
 14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first identifier isreceived based on the first communication device being in contact with aportion of an adjacent transport carriage.
 15. The method of claim 10,further comprising: receiving at the server a plurality of identifierseach associated with a different one of the network of communicationdevices; and based on receiving the plurality of identifiers, tracking acurrent location of the vehicle.
 16. The method of claim 10, wherein thevehicle is operating in a fully autonomous mode as it is loaded orunloaded.
 17. The method of claim 10, further comprising determiningwhether a bridge which carries the first communication device is movingtoward a deployed position or toward a stowed position.
 18. A computer,comprising: a processor and memory storing instructions executable bythe processor, the instructions comprising, to: control an approach of avehicle to a pivotable bridge that spans between one of: two transportcarriages, or a vehicle loader and one of the carriages; receive, from afirst communication device coupled to the bridge or one of thecarriages, an indication to cross the bridge; and based on theindication, cross the bridge.
 19. A system, comprising: the computer ofclaim 18; and a server programmed to: determine a location of thevehicle based on communication between it and a plurality ofcommunication devices which include the first communication device,wherein each device is coupled to a different bridge.
 20. The system ofclaim 19, further comprising a vehicle loader comprising one of theplurality of communication devices coupled to a bridge thereof, wherein,when the loader bridge is in a deployed position, the vehicle may loadedor unloaded from one of the carriages.